2016 Rio Summer Olympics Boxing Update

By Donald “Braveheart” Stewart

There is time now for us all to pause, reflect and take stock – boxing has gone on its summer break. In the UK that means we can bask in the glory of no fewer than 14 world champions. We should, of course, pause to reflect that a few short years ago we did not have such a rich crop of boxers vying for world honors. Of course such reflection is dependent upon how much excitement there comes from the Olympics.

Unfortunately, the Olympics has begun with such appalling controversy – one boxer not competing because of a failed drug test and no fewer than two in jail for alleged sexual offenses – the focus turns from the bizarre and often strange behavior of the professionals onto the clean and harmonious atmosphere of the amateurs… OK maybe not…

For the UK we have very high hopes that the medal haul of 4 for the men and 1 for the women in 2012 at London shall be beaten. There was room for optimism because we have had a decent showing in the World Series of Boxing where we ended up in the finals against the Cubans. It was then and there that we came unstuck: We lost 9 of the 10 fights in the final. Up until that point we had very high hopes we might have several future world champions in the making.
Of course we may still have that crop of future world beaters. If we can start seeing some decent progress through the Olympian Boxing rounds then we ought to start seeing that future become mapped out in a very positive fashion – can’t we? We have a larger squad than we have ever had – 2 women and 10 men – namely: –

Women:

Nicola Adams, 33, hometown Leeds (flyweight, -51kg)
Savannah Marshall, 25, Hartlepool (middleweight, -60kg)

Men:

Galal Yafai, 23, Birmingham (light flyweight, -49kg)
Muhammad Ali, 20, Bury (flyweight -52kg)
Qais Ashfaq, 23, Leeds (bantamweight -56kg)
Joe Cordina, 24, Cardiff (lightweight -60kg)
Pat McCormack, 21, Birtley (light welterweight -64kg)
Josh Kelly, 22, Sunderland (welterweight -69kg)
Antony Fowler, 25, Liverpool (middleweight -75kg)
Joshua Buatsi, 23, London (light heavyweight -81kg)
Lawrence Okolie, 23, London (heavyweight -91kg)
Joe Joyce, 30, London (super heavyweight +91kg)

So far, Galal Yafai was put out in the second round by a world champion, from Cuba. Joe Cordina was also put out in the second round though on a split decision which was not straight forward. Anthony Fowler, a Commonwealth Games Gold medallist was dropped in the second round before losing on points. Finally, Lawrence Okolie is out, to a Cuban.

It leaves us with 7 competitors from whom, if we are to beat the target of London’s haul, we can only lose 2 more…

The riches of the Olympics are sometimes easy to see as the likes of Vasyl Lomachenko 6-1, 4 KO’s, and Guillermo Rigondeaux 17-0, 11 KO’s, Wladimir Klitschko 64-4, 53 KO’s, and Lennox Lewis are apt to show us but it is not guaranteed. It took until the last four year spell before an Olympian Gold Medalist from the UK got their hands on a world title – James DeGale 23-1, 14 KO’s. (Lennox Lewis won his Gold competing for Canada) Just ask Audley Harrison how much Gold means but how much the glitter fades when you get out of the amateurs and need to show some in the professionals. Harrison was no weak man but had the wrong advice in the early stages of his career – his own.

Of course we now have 2 Gold medalists and world title holders as Anthony Joshua 17 – 0, 17 KO’s, holds the IBF heavyweight belt and Luke Campbell 14-1, 11 KO’s, is looking forward to world honors after coming back from defeat successfully and getting his career in the professionals back on track.

Olympic Gold, Silver or Bronze does signify a glittering amateur career – something that AIBA appear hell bent on destroying. The riches that the professional game offers though, is security for your family and a career that pays you back for the effort and hard work that got you into final Olympic rounds. What comes next for each of these Olympic hopefuls – especially the ones who have fallen by the wayside – shall be uppermost in their minds after the Olympics is over. For now, they have a team target of 5 medals. Until the end of the Games we shall not know how well or badly they have done. As for the rest of the nation’s competing, of course we look towards the USA – who have failed to achieve massively over the last few Olympics and the Cubans – who are perennial achievers. The Cubans have continued to be thorns in the flesh of the GB squad – will the US climb back into the Games? Again we shall not know till the end of it all…

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